Respect to AJ Brooks

Former WWE star AJ Lee wrote a book, Crazy is My Superpower, that will be released on April 4, 2017. In advance of that, and for whatever other reason she may have had, she decided today was the day she would open up about a very important issue close to her heart.

I encourage you to read the full post she put up on her site, but here’s an excerpt:

But what good is a secret weapon if it only serves me? Now it is time to reveal my secret identity. I am Bipolar and I am proud.

And that is why I wanted to write a book. To shine a light on mental illness, to be vulnerable about the days I let it take control and paid dearly for it, and to tell anyone fighting a similar battle: You are not alone. You are not broken.

Putting my past on the pages of Crazy is My Superpower was beyond terrifying. But I promised myself I would break the tradition of silence. No mission has ever felt this personal. This book is my raw, uncomfortable truth. Each word, my blood and bone. I am so grateful to be able to tell my story.

I hope to be a resource for those fighting similar battles against mental illness. Even if your battle is a different one, my message to you is the same: Embrace your crazy, your imperfection, your weakness--whatever it may be--because it is the most special thing about you.

There is absolutely a stigma associated with mental illness and its sufferers too often sit in silence. We must do as AJ is doing, as many others have done, and open the lines of communication. The ability to speak openly about it will lead to understanding, which leads to compassion and, when necessary, forgiveness, on all sides.

Respect to AJ Brooks for doing one of the most difficult things a person who suffers from mental illness can do: being open and honest about it. As one of those very people myself, I would like to echo her words: You are not alone.